


The Restless Sea

by ExtraSteps



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: M/M, merman au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-30
Updated: 2019-09-30
Packaged: 2020-11-08 02:51:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20828174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ExtraSteps/pseuds/ExtraSteps
Summary: Deep below the surface of the ocean, where the light barely filters down, the water is still.





	The Restless Sea

**Author's Note:**

  * For [xTarmanderx](https://archiveofourown.org/users/xTarmanderx/gifts).

> This is for my dear friend Tara. Happy birthday and I hope you enjoy these words!

Deep below the surface of the ocean, where the light barely filters down, the water is still.

From where he rests on the ocean floor, Brett can see the roiling waves and the way they churn everything up into a haze of sand and seaweed, making the water murky. It’s because of this that he almost doesn’t notice the shadow of the ship passing over him.

It’s only because the churning stops for a half second that he even sees it. He pushes himself up onto his elbows, tracking it through the water, watching with alarm at the way it’s tossed from one towering wave to the next.

With a flip of his tail, he launches himself up towards the surface, bursting through it just in time to see the mast give way with an almighty crack, crashing down onto the deck below. Even over the howling winds, he can hear the pained screams of men dying.

“Poseidon, guide their way,” he whispers, invoking the god of the seas, touching a hand briefly to his heart. There’s no sign that his prayer is heard, but he feels better for having made it.

Brett is a strong swimmer, but the surface is too dangerous even for him. He retreats below the waves, following at a safe distance, blue eyes watchful as he searches the debris that sinks into the depths of the ocean for any survivors.

Every man he finds is already gone, their eyes unseeing, mouths open in a grimace of pain that slowly slackens. Brett sighs, closing their eyes, moving on to the next, and the next, and the next.

By the time the storm passes, the ship is barely floating, taking on more and more water. It’s close to the shore. In the distance, Brett can hear the calls of seagulls, wheeling and whirling through the air.

The likelihood of finding any survivors is slim, but Brett feels compelled to check. He pulls himself up the side of the ship, feeling it sway as he levers himself up the side, peering down to the deck below. His eyes sweep up and down, checking, double checking. He can’t see anything, but something in his chest tells him he can’t leave.

With a sigh, he pulls himself over the edge, landing on the deck with a jarring thud. He grits his teeth past the pain, awkwardly squirming over the deck, lashing his tail side to side to give himself leverage, his arms straining against the weight of his cumbersome tail.

It’s worth it though when he pushes aside a collapsed sail, and finds him.

At first, Brett thinks he’s dead; his head is pointed down, lolling with the toss of the waves. But as he moves closer, he can see the slight rise and fall of his chest. Brett’s jaw clenches as he reaches up and pushes the dark, tangled hair back, now able to see the gash that still slowly leaks blood across his forehead. It’s red and dark, the scent of it like iron on Brett’s tongue. So different from what he’s used to.

There’s not much he can do for the gash so he leaves it.

As his gaze lowers, he notices the thick ropes wrapped several times around his chest that tie him to the side of the ship. It’s probably the only reason he hasn’t been tossed into the waves below. It’s almost definitely what saved his life.

Brett tugs at them, but the rope is soaked through and tied fast. He looks around the ship and spies a knife in the pocket of another man. He pulls himself towards him, quickly examining his body. His skin is pale, lips blue, eyes wide open and staring at the sky. Brett grimaces, closing over his eyes and taking the knife.

“Swift journey to the deep, sailor,” he murmurs.

He returns swiftly to the other man, awkwardly perching sideways so that he can start to hack through the rope. As he does so, the man doesn’t so much as twitch a muscle. This worries Brett. The movement should wake him.

After several minutes of sawing through soaked rope, Brett finally manages to cut him loose. The man immediately slumps against him, face pressed into his chest.

Brett flushes through to the tips of his tail. Suddenly, he’s very glad the man is unconscious.

He puts his arms around him, gently turning and lowering him until his head is resting in the lap of his tail. He strokes his fingers along his cheekbones, marvelling at the tint of his skin. Brett’s kind are far more pale, but there is something alluring about this man’s darker skin, about the waves of his hair, the plump pink of his lips. Brett has never seen a more fascinating creature in his life.

Feeling brave, he gently brushes his thumb over his lower lip. It’s rougher than he expected and makes his chest tingle with something warm and unfamiliar. It’s like hunger, but different.

Brett feels himself blush again and pulls his hand away, head turning towards the shore again. He has to get him there so that the other humans can help him. 

It doesn’t look that far, and Brett is a strong swimmer, but he still has to get him into the water. Though, as he glances around, he realises that it will not be too much longer until the ship is pulled to the deep.

As he waits, he runs his fingers through the man’s hair, gently untangling it. He hums a lullaby that his pod mother used to sing to him, closing his eyes and losing himself to the melody.

***

_ His eyelids are glued shut, his body sluggish and chest tight. He’s cold and feels his body shiver, the sound of waves crashing startlingly close. He feels himself roll to the side. He didn’t do it though, someone is helping him. Their hands are cool on his forehead, smoothing back his hair. They hum a haunting tune, unlike anything he’s ever heard before.  _

_ He wishes he could open his eyes, but they’re too heavy. At least someone is watching over him. He lets the waves roll over his head and pull him back into darkness. _

***

Brett opens his eyes, looking down at the human. He stirs, a slight frown appearing between his eyebrows. Brett holds his breath for a moment, but his eyes remain closed. He continues to stroke his long fingers through the dark curls, humming all the while until his face smooths back out.

The waves are higher now, the cool water a relief against his tail. He’s been out of the ocean for too long. It’s dangerous for one of his kind to be so exposed to the air and sun.

He gathers the human into his arms. The ship is taking on too much water now. It’s sinking, and he holds the human tight against his chest, his face tucked into his neck as they get pulled under.

With a fast whip of his tail, he clears the sucking maelstrom of water into the calmer waves beyond it, making sure to keep his charge’s head above the water as much as possible. It would be a shame for the human to drown after Brett has gone to all this effort of rescuing him.

It takes only a few minutes to reach the shore. Brett can’t take him any further. The wet sand is too difficult for him to navigate with his tail and carry the human as well.

He looks up and down the beach and though it is littered with debris from the wreck, there is not a single other human to be seen.

His human stirs again, and Brett shushes him, his mind racing. What is he supposed to do?

A pained moan makes him look down just in time to see his eyes flicker open, staring unseeingly up at him. He smiles anyway, soothing the hair out of the human’s eyes. He’s never seen eyes like this before, so dark.

The human blinks a few times, the confusion clear on his face, a hand reaching up to push at his chest.

Brett lets him go but stays close. The water here is waist deep, but if he falls he could still breathe in water before Brett can catch him.

Those dark eyes travel down his chest, mouth falling open.

“Tritão,” he whispers, watching as Brett flicks his tail side to side. “Você é um tritão?”

Brett frowns. He must be from a far away land. He’s never heard this language before.

“Sorry,” he responds. “I don’t understand.”

The man stands up fully, swaying in place. He looks surprised now. “You speak English?”

“Yes,” he says, looking up at the human. 

“Meu Deus.” He shakes his head, wincing in pain immediately after. He sways, and Brett darts forward, steadying him by grabbing both of his arms. His cut is no longer bleeding, but it still looks painful.

“Easy,” he says gently. “You were in a shipwreck.”

This makes the human gasp. “The crew?”

Brett sighs. “Dead.”

The man spits into the water, making Brett’s eyebrows raise. “Good,” he says with grim satisfaction. “They were pirates.”

A chill runs down Brett’s spine. Pirates? He has to tell the alpha immediately. Where one ship came, many would follow. These waters were no longer safe.

He turns his head back towards home, anxiety making his chest tight. 

“What’s wrong?” The human asks.

“Pirates mean danger for all,” Brett says, turning back to him. “I must warn the pack.”

“You’re leaving?” He asks, his voice sounding small and scared. Brett considers him.

“What language were you speaking just now?” He asks him, ignoring his previous question entirely. It is forbidden to give any information to the humans about merkind. He cannot even be speaking to one.

“Portuguese,” the human replies impatiently. “You can’t leave me here.”

“I have never heard of Portuguese,” he muses. “It must be far away.”

“That depends on where I am,” is the snappy reply. The cross look on the human’s face makes Brett smile, his tail flashing a serene blue. The human watches it, eyes shining with curiousity as his ire fades. “Does it always do that?”

He reaches forward before Brett can stop him, running a hand over his scales. Brett flushes. It feels good, making him want to flip over onto his back and let the human run his hands wherever he pleases. Instead, he flicks it back out of reach, trying to push down the bright red into something more modest. It settles somewhere between red and blue.

“You should go,” Brett said after a long, tense silence. “There is a port. Follow the beach towards the morning sun.”

“East?” The human asks, head swivelling towards the direction.

“Is that’s what you call it,” he says with a dismissive shrug. It’s not a word he’s heard before.

A nod is the only reply. Brett studies him, regret making his chest tight. He would have liked to talk to the human longer, but the afternoon sun is drying out his skin.

He turns away. “Goodbye, human.”

“Josh,” the human insists. 

Brett pauses and looks back at him. He tries out the name, tasting it on his tongue. “Josh.”

“And yours?”

The human’s dark eyes are wide and hopeful. 

“Brett,” he offers.

“Brett,” Josh sighs. “Will I see you again, Brett?”

He shakes his head. “No. I very much doubt you will.”

The human’s face falls. Brett needs to leave, but those sad eyes are holding him in place. Instead of walking to the shore, Josh comes closer, stopping in front of him, the water halfway up his chest.

“You saved my life,” Josh says quietly. “I would have drowned.”

He nods. He knows without looking that his tail is bright red again. The proximity of the human is making him feel giddy. It’s forbidden. It’s exciting.

“Thank you,” Josh murmurs. His hands reach for Brett slowly, giving him time to move away if he wants to. He doesn’t. He lets the human grab him and pull him closer until their chests are pressed together. Brett grips his shoulders, curling his tail around him.

He’s never experienced anything like the rush of emotions that are overwhelming him now; fear, desire, excitement, anxiety, hope. He’s immoblised by them, can only watch with bated breath as the human leans in.

The first brush of lips on his own makes him gasp. They’re softer than he could have imagined, warmer too. They move gently over his, exploring him, and he makes a weak noise as need fills him. His hands shake as they glide into Josh’s hair, gripping tight as the human deepens the kiss.

It’s intoxicating, the way the human tastes. Brett can’t get enough of it, whimpering into his mouth as the human kisses him again and again, tongue delving deep into his mouth to stroke along his. Brett’s hands move down his back now, rucking under his shirt and against his back. He can’t get over his warmth, how every touch of him sends fire flooding through Brett’s veins.

“Your mouth is sinful,” Josh murmurs against his lips, kissing him again before Brett can respond. He forgets his reply as he arches against the human, feeling every hard muscle of his body against his, his strong legs wrapping around his tail and holding him even closer. Brett is in ecstasy. He forgets himself. Forgets where they are. Forgets the dangers. 

A loud squawk from a seagull makes them both jump, falling apart. The rush of cool water as Brett dives beneath the waves clears some of the fog of lust from his brain.

He waits a few beats and then slowly resurfaces, keeping a slight distance. Josh stares at him, chest heaving. One hand comes up to brush against his lower lip. Brett can see that it’s swollen. His own feel tingly as well.

“Come back,” Josh pleads, a hand reaching towards him.

He shakes his head slowly, regretfully. He can’t lose himself like that again. 

The human’s face shatters. The red fades from Brett’s tail, becoming a solemn white instead. He doesn’t want to leave either. But the human is fire; beautiful, yes, but dangerous also. 

“Goodbye, Josh,” he says with a sigh.

“Wait,” Josh calls after him. 

He moves further away, further from that intoxicating warmth. “I can’t stay,” he says firmly.

“I know, I know,” Josh says. “I just, if ever you find yourself in Brazil, ask for me by name. Josh Diaz. I’ll come to you.”

Brett has never heard of this place. He doubts he will ever visit its shores.

“Okay,” he says anyway. His human smiles. It is a sad smile. Brett wants to kiss it away. 

He stares a moment longer and then turns, diving under the waves without another word. A moment longer, and he will never be able to leave him.

He swims through the water, deeper and deeper, until all light has been swallowed by the dark below. His heart reminds behind.


End file.
